Power-transmitting device.



No. 687,292. Q Patented Nov. 26, l90l.

" C. G. ARMSTRONG;

POWER TRANSMITTING DEVICE.

(Application filed Sept. 6, 1900.)

(No mom.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. v

CHARLES G. ARMSTRONG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TODAVID B. CARSE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

POWER-TRANSM ITTING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,292, dated November26, 1901.

Application filed $epteniher 6, 1900. Serial No. 29,153. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern,"

Be it known thatI, CHARLES G. ARMSTRONG, acitizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Chicago, county. of Cook, and State of Illinois,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Power-TransmittingDevices,

(Case No. 2 5) and I do hereby declare the folface or a portion thereofenergized with magnetic lines of force. The said wheel is caused torevolve in close proximity or in actual contact with a driven wheelwhich is susceptibje of magnetic influences and a portion of which isWithin the magnetic field of the driving or prime mover.

The object of my invention is to provide a device whereby power may betransmitted 55 from one shaft to another by a means employing magneticlines of force, and as a result the operation of the said device isnoiseless, efficient, and easily controlled.

In carrying my invention into practical oporation I am enabled totransmit the rotary motion of a driving-wheel to a driven wheel throughthe intermediary eifect of magnetic lines of force without actualcontact of the wheels and without any mechanical wear or 5 noiseresulting from the contact of the surfaces of the respective movingparts.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a driven wheel and a driving-wheelmagnetically energized in the positions they occupy when in operation.Fig. 2 shows a diagram of a source of current, the electrical circuit,and a commutator for directing the current into the respective coilsthat are placed upon the magnetic driving-wheel and which constitute apart of said circuit. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section through the drivenwheel A and commutator C.

In all of the views the same characters of reference are used toindicate similar parts.

In the accompanying drawings, A is a driv 50.

ing-wheel having a peripheral surface which is subject to magneticinduction. A series of radial electromagnetic cores are designated by aand are surrounded by coils a. The cores a are numbered from 1 to 14,inclusive.

C is a commutator. The commutator-sections thereof are numbered from 1to 14, inelusive, to correspond with the cores and coils of the magneticwheel.

The coils a are connected in series, and a branch wire joins the saidconnections to a respective commutator-section. The driven wheel A isprovided with a series of projections similar to cores a of thedriving-wheel A. These projections are numbered in a series of 1 to 14,inclusive. They are separated the same distance apart as the projectionsa on the driving-wheel. The projections on the driving and driven wheelsare adapted to come coincidently into position when the drivingwheel isturned for the purpose of revolving the driven wheel, in which event theshafts are preferably placed such a distance apart that the projectionsdo not quite touch each other when they occupy a position in a planedrawn through the two centers of the said wheels, as shown.

B is abattery which is an illustrative means used to energize the coilsa. The battery is connected in circuit by wires 1, 2, 3, and 4 to acommutator C and to a resistance device R. Brushes Z) and I) bear uponthe periph eral surface of the commutator C. The resistance R is usedfor the purpose of controlling the strength of the current that flowsthrough the coils on the driving-wheel A.

The wheel A may be provided with coils and a commutator, electricbattery, and circuit similar to that shown in connection with thedriving-wheel A, if desirable. The arrows around the outside peripheryof the wheels A and A show the direction of their r0- tation. Thecircuit through the coils of the driving-wheel is as follows: Thecurrent leaving the battery by wire No. I will pass by the 9 5 brush bto the commutator-section 1, thence through the coil No. 1, and thencethrough the coil No.2, and thence through the coil No.

3 to the brush 2), over the wires 2 and 3, the resistance-arm 0',through the resistance to the wire 4, and back to the battery,energizing coils 1, 2, and 3. Anothercircnit will be from the brush 1)through the coils 14: to 4, inclusive, and back through the samecircuit. This shows the coils .1, 2, and 3 in parallel with theremaining coils upon the limbs of the said driving-wheel. By thisarrangement the circuit in the driving-Wheel is never broken when acommutator-section passes out from under the brushes 1) and b; but bythis arrangement the coils 1, 2, and 3, or the coils which may at thetime occupy the position between the brushes shown to be occupied now bythe coils 1, 2, and 3, will always be from four to five timesmagnetically stronger than the remaining coils upon the said Wheel. Morecurrent will flow through them, because of their lower resistance, thanthe joint resistance of all of the remaining coils. Ooils Nos. 1, 2, and3 are now about five times the magnetic strength of the remaining coilson the wheel, for the reason that nearly five times as much currentpasses through these coils in the position they now occupy as passesthrough the remaining coils on the wheel. The object of continuing thecircuit through the coils 14C to 4, inclusive, is to prevent the violentflash and disruptive discharge that would ensue if the circuit wasbroken as the coils pass out from under the commutator-brush and toprevent the violent molecular disturbance that would heat themagnetizable elements and decrease the efficiency of the device. CoresNos. 1 and 2 form the terminals of a horseshoe-magnet and tend to threadthe lines of force through the projections 1 and 2 of the wheel A. Ifcoil No. l on the driving-wheel is raised in the process of its rotarymotion, it will also raise the projection No. 1 of the driven wheel, andcoil and core No. 2 will in like manner raise by attraction projectionNo. 2, and in this way the coils on the driver in their rotation willeffect corresponding projections on the driven wheel through theintervening space by the magnetic lines of force and in this way producethe rotation of the driven wheel A. The brushes Z) and b may be adjustedso that the maximum current may be directed through any number of coilsdesirable which will exercise the greatest influence upon theprojections' of the wheel A. WVhen the coil No. 1 has passed to theposition occupied by coil 14, the magnetic effect will be so reduced andthe space so increased that it will not have much, if any, retardingeffect upon the projection 14 of the wheel A. The current through theoperative coils is very strong. The projections on the wheel A willregister exactly with the projections on the wheel A, and in that way acertain definite relation of speed is established and maintained. If,however, the current be reduced by the introduction of resistance fromthe rheostat R by movement of the arm 1' over the contacts 1, then themagnetic effect of the projections on the driving-wheel will not be sostrong by reason of the reduced current by the interposed resistance andthe projections on the driven wheel will not in every case register withthose of the driving-wheel, the result of which is that thedriving-wheel will then 1'0- tate proportionately faster and the speedof the driven wheel will be correspondingly reduced.

As shown in Fig. 3, the com mutatorsections c are built up on a ring orwheel 0 and held in place in a recess 0 common with commutators of thischaracter.

I do not desire to limit myself to the exact construction of the devicesshown and de scribed for the purpose of carrying into effect myinvention, for I believe that I am the first to employ magnetic lines offorce for the purpose of transmitting rotary power without materialcontact of the rotary driv-= ing device and a similar driven device.

I have used the accompanying drawings for the purpose of showing how myinvention may be carried into effect.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A power-transmitting device comprising a rotary driving member, arotary driven member, both members susceptible of magnetic influences,coils for magnetizing both membersandameansformaintainingahighermagnetic strength in a portion of both or either of said members whilesaid portion is within a definite location with reference to the 1'0-tary path thereof, substantially as set forth.

2. A power-transmitting device comprising arotating driving memberhaving a magnetized periphery, a means for maintaining a higher magneticstrength in that portion of the said driving member that is withinadefinite location with reference to the driven member, and a driven member havinga peripheral surface susceptible of magnetic influence, thetwo members placed so that their magnetized surfaces confront eachother, substantially as set forth.

3. Apower transmittingdevice comprising a rotating driving member havinga magnetized periphery, a driven member having a pcripheral surfacesusceptible of magnetic influence, the two members placed so that theirperipheral surfaces confront each other, and a means for decreasing theattractive strength of the magnetic couple of that portion of the'respective surfaces that are receding from each other to a lowermagnetic condition, substantially as set forth.

4. Apower-transmittingdevice comprising a rotating, driving member,having a magnetized periphery, a driven member, having a pcripheralsurface susceptible to megnetic influence, the two members placed. withtheir IIO peripheral surfaces in juxtaposition, a means specification,in the presence of two subscribfor increasing the attractive strength ofthe ing witnesses, this 31st day of August, A. D. 10 magnetic coupile ofsaid surfaces as they ap- 1900. proach each ot er, and for decreasingthe at- 5 tractive strength of the magnetic couple of CHARLES ARMSIRONG'said surfaces as they recede from each other, Witnesses: substantiallyas set forth. ALICE M. SPRINGER,

In testimony whereof I have signed this M. F. ALLEN.

